Minor Rant Thread part 3

[Aberdeenplotter]

Capillary matting, AP.

Capillary Matting?

Thank you girls, was doin my ead in

[Hilary B]

Gearboxes!
A leak on some component the name of which I did not understand, but suspect it is where the drive goes to the front wheel, we knew there was an oil leak (not fast) but assumed (as you do if not a mechanic) that it was engine, then the other day the thing drops out of top gear, and today (having left it with the garage immediately we got home), they tell us there is NO oil in the gearbox, £200+ to replace the leaking component, before they can tell whether the gearbox is past saving.
On top of this, the clutch is getting near to end of usability (ideally should be replaced, but no way we can afford THAT).
Thank goodness for the older car we kept when we bought this one!

[jackie j]

My gear box oil leaks and have been quoted about 30ish pound to fix it.

[Two_Sheds]

My credit card company decided to fine me £40 odd for "paying late". I didn't pay late, I paid on the same day I always have, the day that payment is due. For some reason, in December they decided my payment was "late".

They won't back down.

I have now left my balance 25p in credit. I will never use that card again, and they have to keep posting me statements telling me I'm 25p in credit... FOR EVER, hahahahahaha

[Chopper]

Barclays keep sending me letters demanding to know why I have not relied to thier "Special Offer" on a credit card. As a "Preferred Customer" I am entitled to a guaranteed acceptance on a credit card with a £15,000 limit!!!!! Only 16.9% interest............. BUT ZERO interest on credit card balance transfers.

WHOOOOOPPPPPPPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Shame I don't have a credit card balance to transfer. LOL

I keepgetting special offers from American Excuse as well. Not to mention th eletters from Barclays offering to lend me vast amounts of money and preferential rates. (Usually about 10% above base rate mind.) No wonder the country is in the poo.

Never had a credit card. Never used my overdraft. I go without if I have no money.

Chopper.

[Chopper]

Gearboxes!
A leak on some component the name of which I did not understand, but suspect it is where the drive goes to the front wheel, we knew there was an oil leak (not fast) but assumed (as you do if not a mechanic) that it was engine, then the other day the thing drops out of top gear, and today (having left it with the garage immediately we got home), they tell us there is NO oil in the gearbox, £200+ to replace the leaking component, before they can tell whether the gearbox is past saving.
On top of this, the clutch is getting near to end of usability (ideally should be replaced, but no way we can afford THAT).
Thank goodness for the older car we kept when we bought this one!

Sounds like the CV joint to me, (Constant Velocity Joint). There is a rubber boot over the joint, which moves with the drive shaft. The drive shaft takes the power from the gearbox to the wheel. The shaft has a joint so that it can move up and down as you drive and hit bumps and holes in the road surface. The rubber boot is filled with a special grease which becomes very runny with the heat from movement. As the rubber boot is constantly moving it can perish or split. There are either clamps each end of the rubber boot or cable ties tohold it in place. These can snap or break.When this happens you lose all the grease. This is an MOT failure and quite easy to fix. It does NOT mean your gearbox is knackered.

Where the drive shaft enters the gearbox (At the other end to the CV joint), there is an oil seal and a bearing. It is not expensive or difficult to change that oil seal. Any garage will have all the equipment to do this job very quickly.

If the clutch is on the way out and not just in need of adjustment, the oil leak can be fixed at the same time. The same parts will need to be removed to do the job.

Moral of this is buy a workshop manual for your car and learn how to do the basic stuff like oil levels yourself. Save you a fortune in servicing and repairs. Shop around before you let a garage loose on your car. Best to stay well clear of main dealers or places like KwikFit and Halfords.

Good luck getting sorted.

Chopper.

[binley100]

I keepgetting special offers from American Excuse as well. Not to mention th eletters from Barclays offering to lend me vast amounts of money and preferential rates. (Usually about 10% above base rate mind.) No wonder the country is in the poo.
.

Chopper.

Tear everything up into pieces and return in their prepaid envelopes .....

Why wait till I've finished a job and then say ....I was going to do that....

[Florence Fennel]

That's what himself will say now I've put the hoover away.

[Hilary B]

Thanks Chopper, but this is a local garage with an excellent reputation, and they have looked after our cars for several years now (ever since the guarantee expired so we didn't need to use the dealer any more). The reason they thought the gearbox might be beyond recovery is that there was NO oil left, and they didn't know just how long it had been empty. The word 'boot' did get mentioned while they were blinding me with mechanical terms (over the phone), and I think that component was mentioned as an MOT 'not-a-failure-but' about 3 months ago.
The quote for the clutch was £900, no way we can manage that, and it is still useable (doesn't like going into reverse, but usually does after a few tries.....) so that problem we will have to live with for now.

[Snadger]

Friday is my only sharp lowse from work and OH knacks the washing machine. My tinkering to no avail means that I am too late to see and give my chooks some corn to keep them warm cos they are already tucked up in bed.
Red light comes on in car on way to said allotment and the brakes gradually get worse and worse. Limp to Halfords, get brake fluid, add brake fluid, light goes out but no brakes at all now. Don't want to worry OH that I will be driving the couple of mile home with the shopping with no brakes at all!
I need to get to my project house tomorrow but don't know whether to risk driving 20 mile without any brakes apart from handbrake.
If I could only get a shift bricklaying tomorrow I could probably have a look at the car Sunday!

[Chopper]

Thanks Chopper, but this is a local garage with an excellent reputation, and they have looked after our cars for several years now (ever since the guarantee expired so we didn't need to use the dealer any more). The reason they thought the gearbox might be beyond recovery is that there was NO oil left, and they didn't know just how long it had been empty. The word 'boot' did get mentioned while they were blinding me with mechanical terms (over the phone), and I think that component was mentioned as an MOT 'not-a-failure-but' about 3 months ago.
The quote for the clutch was £900, no way we can manage that, and it is still useable (doesn't like going into reverse, but usually does after a few tries.....) so that problem we will have to live with for now.

Hilary

IF there was NO oil in the gearbox, it would have made a lot of noise and got very hot. You would have noticed it. For the gearbox to be completely dry, you must have had quite a leak. Again you would have noticed it and probably smelt it as well. Gearbox oil has its own particular smell and it does linger.

£900 FOR A CLUTCH??????? Ye gods what car is it? That is THE most expensive clutch repair I have ever heard of in all my years having worked on everything from Morris Minors to Rolls Royce and Aston Martin. My chop has a huge 2.0ltr V Twin high compression Race Motor, six speed transmission, open belt primary and heavy duty clutch. Brand new the whole clutch assembly cost me £270.00 and that including shipping and duty from the states. Took me an hour to fit it. I replaced the clutch on my Ford Escort 1800 last year and used a top quality clutch plate and new thrust bearing. Cost me £215 for the parts and I did the job on my drive in two and a half hours

If the garage are telling you that you need a new clutch because you are having difficulty selecting reverse, I suggest you get someone else to look at it. If the clutch has gone or is one the way out, you would normally expect to have trouble selecting all gears. There would be other symptoms as well, such as the engine revving but the car not responding.

The problem you describe sounds more like the selecting mechanism is worn. Depending on the car it may well have rods that connect to the gear shift. The linkages can wear on the rose joints, making it difficult to select gears.

I strongly recommend that you get a second opinion.

Regards

Chopper.

[Chopper]

That's what himself will say now I've put the hoover away.

What is a hoover?

Is that one of those womens things?

Chopper.
Helmet, jacket.....................GONE!!

[FionaH]

No more chatting on the rant thread please! Read the first post.
Ta muchly

[Glutton4...]

No more chatting on the rant thread please! Read the first post.
Ta muchly

^^^^ ^^^^

Oh, my Rant:

WIIIIIND - It's blowwing everything all over the place and making a blimmin mess! GRRRRRR!

[Glutton4...]

Chuffin light bulbs!!!! GRRRRRRRR